As universities strive to stay competitive, technology comes to the forefront as a way to engage and interact with visitors, students and alumni. At Duke University, the brand-new 48,000 square-foot Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center recently opened to the public and features a massive interactive touchscreen wall as its centerpiece. The 6.5-foot high by 24.5-foot wide Leyard and Planar touchscreen display showcases a variety of interactive content as visitors enter the center.
Visitors are treated to content that focuses on Duke’s rich history, its vision for the future, notable alumni and student and donor stories. Thanks to T1V, the company who developed the software behind the interactive wall, personalized content can be pushed to the touchscreens once visitors download and enable the Duke Alumni Association’s app. Users with the app will see their name, class year and more displayed on the wall when their personal device is detected within a certain proximity to the wall. An interactive map highlights locations where alumni are now located worldwide and can connect them with fellow Duke graduates. The center also features several smaller touchscreens, displaying the same content, that are dispersed throughout. Each of the center’s touchscreens allow multiple users to interact simultaneously.
The alumni and visitor’s complex features new meeting and event spaces utilizing wood, glass and stone and also incorporates the historic two-story Forlines House that has been renovated, but remains as a reminder of Duke’s past
